Toyota Axle Widths

Toyota axle widths! If you want to do an axle swap, you gotta know ‘em.

Here are all dimensions and factoids you need like spring perch width, pinion drop, and brake type.

Let's get to it!

Table of Contents

  • 4.10, 4.56, 4.88, 5.29 - What gears should you get for your Toyota?
  • Toyota Extended Brake Lines
  • Toyota Chevy 63" Spring Swap Kits

  • We’ve compiled a list here of axle widths, spring perch center measurements, and some brief info about the axle setup. Take a look at some acronyms and definitions at the bottom of the article if you don't know what something is.

    Toyota Axle Swap Issues

    If you're here, you're probably thinking about an axle swap. Figuring out the the width of a particular Toyota axle is only the first step; there are always some other things to consider. Most of the below axles have been swapped into all the other vehicles in the axle width table (eh…maybe not the IFS stuff). Issues that come up are usually:

    • There are different pinion flanges. You can fix this by using a 27 spline triple-drilled flange (very common) or a 29 spline triple-drilled flange (not factory until early 2000s, but used in many aftermarket Toyota ring and pinions).
    • The differential hump might be in the way. For instance, FJ60 axles have the hump slightly further out than a 40’s. A 40 getting a 60 axle swap usually has some minor issues to properly attach the spring and keep the spring perch low to the axle.
    • Land Cruiser rear axles are all offset to the passenger side. Minis and 4Runners have a front passenger offset and are centered in the rear. If you decide to run 60 axles in your mini, your driveshaft will run from the center of your truck to the passenger side. This will run perfectly fine, since your driveshaft does not know where up is, but it might make your driveshaft a wee bit more vulnerable.
    • For Toyota trucks and 4Runners, there is one front axle width, and it is not wide. This is solved with:
      • Spacers - Not great, sometimes illegal, and may wear out your front end sooner.
      • IFS hub swap - Gets you about 3” more width.
      • Aftermarket axle housing - Requires a longer “long-side” inner axle shaft.
      • An FJ80 front axle - Read more about the ultimate Toyota SAS axle.
    • Brakes may not match master cylinder. Brake master cylinders with small bores can’t move enough fluid for large, multi-pistoned calipers. If you put FJ60 axles into your Suzuki Samurai, you’ll need a larger bore master cylinder. While this isn’t a big issue with most Toys, swapping axles means you may be doing other stuff that makes your brakes work harder, so think about a master cylinder swap.

    About These Measurements

    We think this is the most comprehensive list of Toyota axle widths on the Internet…but don’t count on them.

    Here's the deal:

    We did our best compiling them and expect that most of them are within a 1/4” of the actual measurement. These seem to be somewhat difficult measurements to get due to measuring technique and stuff being in the way (like the diff and diff cover). We were surprised at the different measurements stated for the same vehicle in various spots.

    Toyota Axle Widths

    Axle Widths for Toyotas
    Vehicle models Front or Rear Years Suspension Type Width, WMS to WMS SPC to SPC Offset Notes
    Toyota pickup/mini and 4Runner Front axle 1979-1985 Leaf 55.5" 29" Passenger With stock hubs.
    Front axle 1979-1985 Leaf 58.25" 29" Passenger With IFS hubs.
    Rear axle 1979-1985 Leaf 55" Center
    Front axle 1986-1995 IFS 58.5" NA Center
    Rear axle 1986-1989 Leaf 58" 39.6" Center IFS front.
    Rear axle 1986-1995.5 Leaf 58" 39.6" Center IFS front. We've found that the axle shafts from the coil rear will not fit this housing as they are too long.
    Rear axle 1990-1995.5 Coil 58.5" NA Center IFS front. Axle shafts are 7mm shorter than late 80s leaf axles.
    Toyota pickup/mini 2 wheel drive Rear axle 1979-1995 Leaf 56" Center 5 lug
    Toyota T100 Front axle 1993-1998 IFS 65" NA Passenger IFS
    Rear axle 1993-1998 Leaf 66.75" Center IFS front
    Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner Front axle 1995.5 + IFS 60.75" Passenger
    Rear axle 1995.5 + Coil 60.75" NA Center 4Runner only. IFS front. Some of these Toyotas have the factory e-locker.
    Rear axle 1995.5 + Leaf 60.75" Center Tacoma only. IFS front. Some of these Toyotas have the factory e-locker.
    Rear axle 2005 + Leaf 65" Center Tacoma. IFS front. Some of these Toyotas have the factory e-locker.
    Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40/FJ45/FJ55 Front axle All Leaf 55.7" 27.2" Passenger
    Rear axle All Leaf 55.6" 38.5" Passenger
    Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 and FJ62 Front axle All Leaf 58.9" 31.6" Passenger
    Rear axle All Leaf 58.3" 40.9" Passenger
    Toyota Land Cruiser FJ70 Front axle All Leaf 56.2" 25.4" Passenger
    Rear axle All Leaf 55.6" 37.3" Passenger
    Toyota FJ80 and FZJ80 Front axle All Coil 63.3" Coil springs Passenger
    Rear axle All Coil 63.5" Coil springs Passenger

    Axle Width Definitions

    WMS
    Wheel Mounting Surface: This is the surface on the axle that the wheel sits flat on. This is usually a drum brake drum, disc brake disc, or a wheel hub. You'll often see this used in a "WMS to WMS" measurement, which is the same as "axle width".

    WMF
    Wheel Mounting Flange:This is the same as WMS.

    IFS
    Independent Front Suspension: Instead of a solid axle, that moves as one unit, each side articulates independently.

    SPC
    Spring Perch Center: While coil axles do have spring perches, this is usually used when talking about leaf-sprung axles. Knowing this tells you whether you can bolt in an axle or if you'll need to do some fabrication. Some axles (like all Toyota axles) have welded on perches. You can cut them of and put them anywhere on the axle. Some other axles (like some one tons) have cast perches, which means you'll (usually) be adjusting the width of your leaf springs instead of the perch placement.

    Track width
    Don't use this term! Why? As far as we can tell, no one knows what it means. We have seen it used to describe the measurements from: center-of-tire to center-of-tire, WMS to WMS, outside tread to outside tread, and rear width only (even when the front is different). Track width is useless for our purposes.
    Links and Sources

    Toyota E-locker Fix for 89 to 95 4Runners and Trucks
    Good info regarding differences in coil and leaf spring Toyotas from 1986 and up.

    Toyota Land Cruiser FAQ Specifications

    Pirate4x4.com Toyota FAQ

    A tape measure

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tyler Branham

Tyler came out of the womb with a Birfield in one hand and a stick of 6010 in the other, ready to weld any piece of trail-busted steel back together. He has wheeled, broken, and modified a variety of rigs, from Toyotas to Jeeps to Fords to Chevies. He likes doing long distance overland travel and would happily spend every night in the bed of a pickup under the stars.

Last updated: March 26, 2020